In May 2021, I had the privilege of moderating the mirror session as part of the conference Devenir l’œuvre. Practices of Objectifying the Body in Exhibitions and Museums, organized at the Université du Québec en Outaouais by Mélanie Boucher, Anne Bénichou, and Éric Langlois. This event explored how bodies are transformed, staged, and sometimes objectified within museal and artistic contexts.
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Conference reference:
Devenir l’œuvre. Practices of Objectifying the Body in Exhibitions and Museums, presented at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, organized by
Mélanie Boucher, Anne Bénichou, Éric Langlois
The Mirror: Reflection, Illusion, and Mediation of the Body
The session I moderated focused on the role of the mirror in constructing and perceiving the body in exhibitions and museums. As a tool for reflection and mise en abyme, the mirror is a central device in curatorial and artistic practices that interrogate identity, representation, and illusion. The various presentations brought together theoretical and practical perspectives on how the mirror shapes our relationship to the body and to the museum space.
A Key Role in Scientific Dialogue
As moderator, my role was to lead the conversation, structure the debate, and foster interaction between speakers and the audience. I ensured that the different interventions were articulated around the questions raised by the conference, highlighting issues related to the materiality of the body, its staging in exhibitions, and the processes of objectification in museal settings.
An Interdisciplinary Conference on Bodies in Exhibition
Devenir l’œuvre brought together researchers, artists, and curators to analyze the transformations of the body in museal and artistic practices. By examining strategies of bodily objectification throughout the history of art and in contemporary practices, this event deepened the reflection on the boundaries between subject and object in exhibition spaces.